Cork Flooring FAQs

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Materials

Yes, of course. We can custom color match any color sample you send us. Contact one of our flooring specialists and we'd be glad to help you find the perfect color for your new DuroDesign cork floor.

Our cork flooring tile, used in glue-down applications, comes standard in nominal 12" x 24" (30cm x 60cm) or 12" x 12" (30cm x 30xm) sizes. Both are 8mm (5/16") thick. Our cork floating floors come in nominally 12" x 36" (30cm x 91cm) click-together panels, which are 10mm (3/8") thick (3mm cork surface on a 6mm core with a 1mm integrated cork underlayment).

Cork is actually the bark of the Cork Oak (Quercus Suber). We use the finest cork from traditional, family-owned plantations in Portugal and Spain. The bark is harvested approximately every 9 years without causing any harm to the tree. As a result, cork is a truly sustainable flooring product.

Firstly, using cork supports local farmers and protects the Cork Oak in its native habitat in arid areas of primarily Spain and Portugal. The preservation of cork oak forests is also important to the survival of thousands of species in this rare ecosystem:

  • Cork forests also play a vital role in combating soil erosion by wind and rain.
  • Cork oaks are also naturally resistant to forest fires and play a vital role in protecting delicate landscapes from devastation.
  • Cork production is entirely sustainable and renewable- Cork Oak trees are not harmed in the harvest of their bark for cork, and cork forests have been harvested for a thousand years.
  • Cork floors are resilient, tough and long-lived. A floor that can last over 50 years is definitely a responsible choice for the environment.

DuroDesign cork floors are easy to maintain, further lessening the environmental impact of your floor over its lifetime - needing only routine damp-mopping with water and a simple re-coat of our MP765 low-VOC water-based polyurethane every 5-7 years (in average residential use) or one coat of hard wax oil (for the prefinished hard wax oil option).

Yes. We have 2 options: Factory Finish UV (gloss)  in the 8 mm tile in natural in the 6 patterns. And our complete line (6 patterns,100+colors) in 8 mm tiles or floating in hard wax oil (low gloss).

Many of the special qualities of cork derive from the fact that it is actually the bark of the cork oak. Its role as a protective barrier for the tree also means that it is also naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Cork, because of its micro-cellular structure, is very resilient - cushioning blows, resisting dents and absorbing sound. Cork is also beautifully warm underfoot because of its high insulation value.

In short, a cork floor can simultaneously reduce echo and sound transmission, make a floor feel warmer, be easy to maintain and promote an all-round healthier living environment!

For residential and medium commercial traffic both our on site urethane and the prefinished  Hard wax oil is suitable. For high traffic commercial we recommend the former.
Both systems require less maintenance than other conventional resilient floor finishes such as vinyl or linoleum, with a longer lifespan. Long life, durability and ease of maintenance, make DuroDesign cork a sound investment for your commercial flooring needs.

We can custom pre-cut cork tiles to our customer's specifications for a small fee. Your floor designs will arrive pre-glued and ready to install!

Simply submit measured drawings of your floor designs or a list of required tile sizes to our sales staff for a quote.

No. DuroDesign cork flooring does not off-gas and our adhesive and varnish are low-VOC (low enough to qualify towards LEED credits).

Like any natural material, cork flooring fades with exposure to the UV radiation in sunlight.

Although we use the highest quality fade-resistant dyes and stains available, the natural material itself fades with exposure to sunlight over time until the effect stabilizes. The use of UV-protective films on existing windows, or installing Low-E filled windows in new construction and the judicious placement of area rugs will minimize the effect of the sun on your floors.

Cork flooring is naturally hypo-allergenic. Cork is anti-microbial and is resistant to mold and mildew. A cork floor doesn't hold a static charge, hence can't hold dust and is easy to keep clean. Our cork floors do not off-gas and the adhesive and varnish are low-VOC, for the best in indoor air quality.

Yes. Our low-gloss finish options are either in our MP765 Urethane Ultra Matte Finish (20 degrees) or in our Hardwax Oil Finish (6-12 degrees).

None - you can any color and any pattern in either floating clic cork or glue-down cork tiles.

Our 8mm cork tile can withstand up to 80 pounds per square inch. We recommend placing felt pads under furniture legs to protect the floor, though.

Installation

Absolutely! Protected by our MP765 finishing system or our Hardwax Oil Finish, cork, a naturally resilient material is ideal for use as kitchen flooring:

  • Spills are easily dealt with - DuroDesign cork is easy to wipe clean.
  • You'll be more comfortable - cork is soft and resilient underfoot.
  • You'll break fewer plates - dropped items tend to bounce off a cork floor and have less chance of breaking!

Yes, you can:

  • Cork is so warm and comfortable underfoot that it will transform your bathroom.
  • Cork is naturally resistant to humidity, mold and fungus.

Although water drops and spills wipe up very easily and won't damage a cork floor, be sure not to leave large amounts of water on the floor for hours as this can potentially damage almost any floor.

Absolutely! DuroDesign cork flooring can be used with radiant floor heating systems.

  • Cork is a naturally resilient material, unaffected by changes in temperature.
  • Cork's natural insulating properties help a concrete radiant floor feel warm to the touch even when the heating system is off. A ceramic tile floor, however, becomes as cold as the concrete slab.

Yes, cork slows the transmission of heat slightly from the slab below, but no more than a wood floor. Besides, a radiant floor heating system is not meant to be a fast-response heating system - but based on steady radiation from a thermal mass.

Yes it can, provided you have tested your basement floor for moisture and vapour transmission. Excessive moisture can be controlled and brought within acceptable levels simply with a plastic vapor barrier sheet or special applied coatings.

Either glue-down cork tiles or floating planks can be installed in basements. Cork tiles can be glued directly to a prepared slab or a plywood subfloor, while floating cork planks are laid over a 3mm thermofoil membrane on the concrete slab.

DuroDesign cork floors have been successfully installed in many basements: Contact our technical department for further details about proper testing procedures and trouble-free installation of DuroDesign cork flooring in your basement.

The floor substrate, be it wood or concrete, needs to be flat and smooth. Because of corks' resiliency, imperfections, bumps and holes will telegraph through the finished flooring. If the subfloor isn't sufficiently smooth, troweling on a skim-coat with a cement-based patching compound is essential for professional results. We recommend using Ardex Feather Finish, Mapei Planipatch Plus or equivalent. Use only cement-based patching compounds.

For large or very rough areas, using a self-leveling cement-based product (by Mapei or Ardex) may be preferable.

If you are handy, you probably can. Floating cork floors are literally a snap to install since we use a clic system. Cork tiles require a little more attention to preparation of the sub-floor, but can be installed successfully by the handy homeowner. Varnishing is as simple as carefully mopping a floor, and all our products are low-VOC, water-based and low-odor.

If we have qualified installers in your area, we will gladly put you in touch with them.

Yes, choose our HDF-backed clic floating cork floor and you can install directly over your existing flooring, as long as it is sound, with little or no surface preparation. Unless the floor is already flat, you may need a skim-coat of a modified cement-based skim-coating compound to flatten the surface and fill any depressions.

Yes, you can install cork flooring on stair treads and risers. However, a hard stair nosing (metal or hardwood) needs to be installed. You can get one locally or we offer wood nosings stained to match the color of the cork.

Yes. They are also available in our documentation section of our website. Installation videos can also be viewed on our site. We are very hands on so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you own a small dog, then either the hardwax oil or urethane finished cork floors are suitable.

If your dog is larger, the site-finished polyurethane cork flooring would be a better choice as it is more resistant.

We recommend choosing our glue-down 8mm cork flooring for it's superior resistance to temperature and humidity.

Our glued-down 8mm cork tile would be an excellent choice. It is highly-resistant to contraction or expansion due to large temperature changes.

You can walk on it with shoes after 24 hrs. Wait an extra day before placing your furniture. Allow a week before placing area rugs to allow the urethane to fully cure.

Maintenance

Vacuum and damp mop when necessary to keep dirt and abrasive particles from dulling the finish. As with a hardwood floor, you should avoid excessive moisture, so never flood the floor when mopping.

A slightly damp mop may be used to mop up the occasional spill.

For our urethane-finished floors, you can use floor cleaners formulated for polyurethane finished hardwood flooring diluted in water (i.e. Bona X by Bonakemi, Squeaky Clean by Basic Coatings, Finitec Hardwood Floor Cleaner, etc.)

For our Hardwax Oil-finished floors, use oil soap only for cleaning.

Yes, easily.

For Urethane-finished floors, using our MP765 water-based polyurethane varnish, all you need to do is lightly scuff-sand the floor with 220 grit sandpaper, vacuum, and apply two light coats of varnish with a synthetic applicator mop.

Each coat dries in about one hour and leaves no residual odor.

For our Hardwax Oil-finished floors, one coat of our Universal Oil is sufficient.

Using our general re-finishing schedule, apply two coats of our MP765 water-base polyurethane on a urethane-finished floor or one coat of Universal Oil on a Hardwax Oil-finished floor:

  • Once per year for high traffic retail
  • Once every two to three years for low to medium commercial traffic
  • Once every five to seven years for residential cork flooring applications

Watch high-wear areas such as stairs, hallways and in front of kitchen sinks for the first signs of dulling of the finish - this is an indication that it's time to re-finish those areas.

Cats and small dogs are usually not an issue at all with cork floors. Large dogs, however, can damage the surface of almost any floor, especially hardwood.

Cork has the advantage over hardwood since it is resilient, absorbs impact and doesn't scratch or gouge as easily as hardwood. Protected by DuroDesign's MP765, cork also has excellent abrasion resistance.

Ultimately, your pet's good behavior and keeping their nails trimmed will help keep your cork floors looking beautiful.

Yes, easily.

For Urethane-finished floors, all you need to do is lightly scuff-sand the floor with 220 grit sandpaper, vacuum, and apply two light coats of our MP765 water-based polyurethane varnish with a synthetic pad applicator. A video demonstrating the procedure is available in our documentation section. Each coat dries in about one hour and leaves no residual odor.

For Hardwax Oil-finished floors, one coat of our Universal Oil is sufficient.

Ordering

Use our dealer locator here or contact us at 1-888-528-8518 or at info@duro-design.com

There is no minimum order.

You pay only for what you need and we ship you the exact quantity of flooring, glue and varnish you require. You save money and there is less waste material to deal with when the installation is over.

It depends on the complexity of the layout and the skill of the installer.

As a rule of thumb, add 8% to 10% for waste and cuts depending on your skill level and the layout of the area. Diagonal layouts, or floors with curved walls may require more careful calculation of the quantity required.

Email us the plans and our technical department will do a quantity take off for you.